Learn how to talk about the destination of a trip
Now Playing: Lesson Audio
Get a breakdown of the dialogue and translations instantly with the Premium line-by-line Audio. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.
Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.
| INTRODUCTION |
| Becky: Hello and welcome back to BulgarianPod101.com. This is season 1, lesson 2 - Talking About Travel Plans in Bulgarian. I’m Becky. |
| Iva: Zdravei I’m Iva! |
| Becky: In this lesson, you'll learn how to talk about travel destinations. |
| Iva: This conversation takes place on a plane. |
| Becky: It’s between Mariya and James. |
| Iva: The speakers don’t know each other, so they’ll be using formal language. |
| Becky: Now let’s listen to the conversation. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Becky: So can you tell us some tips about going on a business trip to Bulgaria, Iva? |
| Iva: It can be challenging sometimes, and there are some things you should remember. |
| Becky: We are talking about people who are about to go on a business trip for the first time. |
| Iva: That’s right. First up, a valid passport is required for people who want to visit Bulgaria. |
| Becky: Of course. |
| Iva: Depending on where you’re from, you don’t need a tourist or business visa for a stay of less than 90 days. |
| Becky: If it’s longer, you’ll need a visa. |
| Iva: Yes. And you can get one from any Bulgarian embassy or consulate abroad before you travel. |
| Becky: As far as I know, the main European airlines fly to Sofia. And Sofia Airport is located 10 km from downtown. |
| Iva: That’s right. And remember, you can get a taxi, but it’s best to use reputable taxi companies. |
| Becky: And finally, most street names and road signs are in Bulgarian, but they are also transcribed into the Latin alphabet. |
| Iva: But our listeners are learning Bulgarian already, so signs in Bulgarian shouldn’t be a problem! |
| Becky: (laughs) That’s true. Okay, now let’s take a look at the vocab. |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES |
| Becky: Let’s take a closer look at the usage of some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Iva: First we have “София” |
| Becky: This is the name of the Bulgarian capital. |
| Iva: Yes. But note that when you pronounce it, it sounds more like “Sofiya” in Bulgarian. |
| Becky: And I noticed that you stressed the 'o', not the 'i'. |
| Iva: Exactly. “София”. |
| Becky: And this name comes from St. Sofia’s name, which means “wisdom”. |
| Iva: That’s right! |
| Becky: Ok, can you tell us the next word? |
| Iva: That’s“Варна”, the other city in our dialogue. |
| Becky: Listeners, repeat both words after Iva. |
| Iva: “София” and “Варна”. |
| Becky: OK, what can you tell us about it? |
| Iva: It’s the name of the third largest city in Bulgaria. |
| Becky: And it’s a seaside resort, major tourist destination, business and university center, seaport, and the center of the Varna Province. So it’s an important city! |
| Iva: You bet! And the oldest golden treasure in the world was discovered in the Varna Necropolis, around 4,600 BC. |
| Becky: Wow! |
| Iva: And you can even see it in the museum. |
| Becky: Oh, I definitely want to! So what’s the last word? |
| Iva: “Командировка”. |
| Becky: This is a Bulgarian noun used for the English “business trip”, right? |
| Iva: Yes, but the word also has some connection with Russian. So recently, the direct translation of “business trip”, “бизнес пътуване” has also become common among Bulgarians. |
| Becky: To sound more international? |
| Iva: I suppose so. |
| Becky: Okay, now onto the grammar. |
| GRAMMAR POINT |
| Becky: In this lesson, you’ll learn how to talk about travel destinations. Iva, what form do we use in this case? |
| Iva: When you want to ask about the destination of a trip in Bulgarian, you should use the expression “Закъде пътувате?” for formal situations, and “Закъде пътуваш?” for the informal. |
| Becky: Could you repeat them again for our listeners please? |
| Iva: “Закъде пътувате?” and “Закъде пътуваш?” |
| Becky: The literal meaning is “Where are you travelling to?” |
| Iva: The first word “закъде” literally means “where to”. |
| Becky: OK, and then? |
| Iva: The verb for “to travel” comes next in the second person plural - “пътувате”, which is formal. Or “пътуваш” in the second person singular for informal. |
| Becky: Listeners, note that for this type of expression, you don’t have to use the Bulgarian particle for forming questions, “ли”. |
| Iva: Yes. This is a common question that you can use in many situations, like asking about the travel destination of a customer, or just being curious about your friend’s plans. |
| Becky: Is this the only way you can ask the question? |
| Iva: There is one similar expression for asking directions in Bulgarian. |
| Becky: What is it? |
| Iva: “Накъде пътувате/пътуваш?” It has the same meaning, but it’s a more general way to ask about directions. |
| Becky: What’s the difference? |
| Iva: “Закъде пътувате/пътуваш?” requires a more concrete answer, and you can ask it if you’re in the same vehicle as the person you’re are asking. |
| Becky: I see. |
| Iva: “Закъде” and “Накъде” are Bulgarian adverbs that are used for questions about direction. They literally mean “for where” and “to where”. |
| Becky: Is there simpler way to ask this question? |
| Iva: There is! You can ask the same question about direction of travel, without using the verb “to travel”, “пътувам”. |
| Becky: What would that sound like? |
| Iva: You have to use the auxiliary verb “съм” or “to be”. |
| Becky: When you use it in its second person singular or plural, either in an informal or formal situation, you can make the same question, which means “Where are you going to?” |
| Iva: Exactly. In Bulgarian “Закъде сте?” - plural, or “Закъде си?” - singular. |
| Becky: Listeners, repeat after Iva. |
| Iva: “Закъде сте?” (plural) or “Закъде си?” (singular). |
| Becky: Is that all we need to know? |
| Iva: Well, this lesson’s expression is very handy when you’re in taxi, or just riding in a friend’s car. |
| Becky: What is the Bulgarian way to say “Where to?” |
| Iva: It’s “Накъде сте?” meaning “Where are you going to?” or “Накъде сме” meaning “Where are we heading to?” |
| Becky: OK, I think that’s enough information for this lesson. |
| Iva: Yes. And there are many more examples in our lesson notes. |
| Becky: So check them out! |
Outro |
|---|
| Iva: Yes. See you next time. |
| Becky: Thanks everyone, bye! |
| Iva: Bye. |
Comments
Hide